MADURAI: Vignettes of public mourning presented a poignant ambience at Palamedu near Madurai where jallikattu was scheduled to have been conducted on Saturday.
People of all age groups sat near Vaadivasal — where the bulls used to be released one by one after snapping the rope into the arena- wailing over the inability to conduct the sport, their annual religious-cultural event.
Though there was rumor that jallikattu has been conducted in two villages in the district, police denied it. District collector L. Subramanian and superintendent of police Vijayendra S. Bidari closely monitored the situation in the villages to prevent people from conducting the sport.
“We have deployed 2,000 personnel in sensitive areas to ensure peace,” the superintendent said.
Bidari said they have arrested 15 people from Palamedu, Vadipatti and Austinpatti villages under IPC for attempting to create unrest, spread false rumours and instigate people.
At Austinpatti, police seized a vehicle and restrained a bull when the vehicle owner attempted to release it on the main road, Bidari said.
A few villagers tried to release two bulls inside the river in the noon, but police prevented it. In Alanganallur, hundreds of villagers formed a human chain protest demanding lifting of the ban.
Most people spoke about the village bull called ‘Manjamalaiyan’ belonging to the Manjamalai temple. During jallikattu, the first bull that runs through Vaadivasal is the temple bull marking the event’s religious significance.
Ever since villagers came to know that jallikattu couldn’t be conducted this year, Manjamalaiyan bull has fallen sick. It has been going without food for nearly a week. He just sits there in forlorn mood.
“Manjamalaiyan get up, punish those people who banned our tradition,” said a group of women who were found sitting near the bull and praying it.
The villagers also closed the Manjamalai temple believing that their subaltern god would punish the elite law makers for not respecting their age-old religious and cultural tradition.
“Our freedom fighters fought against colonial rulers and got us freedom to establish a legal system that would safeguard the religious and culture of villagers, not to serve the interests of a few elites in the country,” said Sekar, a youth from the village.
Instead the court is passing orders against the
sport. Explaining jallikattu’s religious significance, a group of elder women sitting near the manjamalaiyan bull, said people from 48 villages would participate in the event organised for the Manjamalai temple.
“On the event day, the bull will visit all houses in the village. Everyone will welcome it with ‘aarati’, and then tie dhoti for coins nears its horns for fulfilling our promises,” said 75-year-old Malaiammal.
Only then the people would prepare ‘pongal’ in their houses, she said adding relatives from various parts of the State would visit their houses only on that day. “But, today none in this village prepared pongal. We have neither taken bath or wore new dresses,” said Sriniammal (43).
“We will not allow any politician inside our village asking for vote. If they dare enter, we will welcome them with broomstick,” said the women.
